Filmmaker shooting Puppy Doe documentary

Pit bull found abused in Quincy

A California filmmaker has started shooting a documentary about Puppy Doe, the brutally abused pit bull that was found in Quincy this summer, the Patriot Ledger reported.

“I can’t get it out of my head, and I just feel like this is a story that has to be told,” Paulina Kucharski Quaranta, 36, said.

Quaranta, who lives in Los Angeles, was in Dedham on Dec. 19 to attend the arraignment of Radoslaw Czerkawski, the man accused of torturing Puppy Doe, and to interview some of the animal-rights supporters who rallied outside the courthouse. The day before, she captured footage of the Puppy Doe vigil on Whitwell Street in Quincy.

Quaranta, a native of Chicago, has worked as an associate producer and as a director and producer’s assistant on several Hollywood blockbusters, including “Million Dollar Baby” and “Underworld.” Although she has directed several short films, the Puppy Doe documentary is the first full-length film she’ll direct.

Puppy Doe is the name given to the dog that was severely tortured in a Quincy home and later euthanized as a result of her injuries. Police said the dog was originally named Kiya.

The pit bull that was given the name Puppy Doe was tortured in a Quincy home. Her injuries were so severe, she had to be euthanized. Police said the dog was originally named Kiya.

Quaranta said she and the film’s producer, Elizabeth Lawrence, are both actively involved in promoting animal-rights issues, so the Puppy Doe film is a passion project.

“It really affected me,” Quaranta said. “It was just such a horrible, horrible story, and I told (Lawrence): ‘This story needs to be told on a broader level.’”

Quaranta, who plans to return to Quincy in February to continue filming, said she will try to interview Quincy police Detective Thomas Pepdjonovic, who led the Puppy Doe investigation, veterinarians, members of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and previous owners of Puppy Doe.

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